DIY

Location: Poblacion, Davao City Starting Point: Museo Dabawenyo End Point: Magsaysay Park Distance: 4 km Duration: 7 hours Emerging from a small riverside trading settlement of Bagobo tribes in southeastern Mindanao, the area we now call Davao City was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1844 in opposition to the Sultan of Maguindanao, followed by the official colonization of the region in 1848. In the early 20th century, Japanese settlers thrived in the city working in abaca plantations so muchRead More→

Location: Zamboanga City (Downtown) Starting Point: Rio Hondo End Point: Cawa-Cawa Boulevard Distance: 2 km Duration: 3 hours Owing to its prominent Spanish heritage, the city of Zamboanga in Western Mindanao is dubbed “Asia’s Latin City”. A significant aspect is the Spanish creole called Chabacano spoken primarily by the Christianized population. However, the city is cultural crossroad shaped by centuries of immigration and colonization. The settlement was established as early as the 12th century, with the earliest inhabitants being theRead More→

Location: Intramuros, Manila Starting Point: Plaza Mexico Ferry Station End Point: Starbucks Distance: 3 km Duration: 7 to 8 hours Coming from the Latin word for “within the walls”, Intramuros was a Spanish riverside walled city- surrounded by moat- built on the site of a fortified Malay Islamic settlement called “Maynila”, a name referring to the nila mangrove plant (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea) that once thrived along Manila Bay. City planning was commenced by Miguel López de Legazpi, the conquistador who establishedRead More→

Location: Binondo, Manila Starting Point: Carriedo LRT End Point: Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Distance: 2 km Duration: 2 to 3 hours Covering an area of only a few square kilometers, Manila Chinatown is jam-packed with history, cultural quirks, bustling commerce and, of course, gastronomic delights. Since the Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadores, this riverside area has long been a trading post between native Filipinos and visiting Chinese. Officially established in 1594 when the SpaniardsRead More→

Location: Quiapo, Manila Starting Point: Legarda LRT End Point: Carriedo LRT Distance: 1.7 km Duration: 1 to 2 hours Named after the kiapo or water lettuce that once thrived along Pasig River, Quiapo is one of Manila’s old districts packed with colorful market stalls, colonial churches and rundown Spanish-period houses. Since the 1970s, business establishments began to move out to other cities leaving much of the area to deteriorate. However, people still flock here to pay homage to theRead More→

Welcome to my website! I’m travel writer, photographer and online influencer Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap from the Philippines. Join me as I hike, dive, fly, eat and do pretty much anything in between across 7,641 islands and beyond. Need to reach me? Please write me an email.